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hellobookbird's review against another edition
2.0
Unpopular opinion time: I kinda felt like I was reading a paranormal version of an autobiography because I felt it kept trying to tell me rather than show me.
As a result? A big fat meh. DNF @ 65% because I kept hoping something would happen.
In a nutshell:
- Too much science explain-y (throughout the whole book) of why the world and the different species are the way they are and why Scarlet's null magic works on them; it was trying too hard, came up way too often, and if I thought about it too much I was just came up with a whole bunch of questions. I don't know about you but I really don't want to care about the whys that much. I just want them to be there.
- There is supposedly a love triangle between Jesse the hot newbie cop and Eli the hot three night stand werewolf but other than being told that she's attracted to both I'm (A) not feeling the sparks (B) can't tell if the author really thinks Jesse is going to be a serious contestant in this supposed match in the first place and (C) really not feeling the sparks.
- The big bad vampire that controls the entire city isn't scary. Why isn't he scary? He's supposed to be scary.
Maybe this is a case of a "it's not you, it's me" because I'm seriously in the minority here. I'll let you be the judge.
And hey! If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can read for free!
As a result? A big fat meh. DNF @ 65% because I kept hoping something would happen.
In a nutshell:
- Too much science explain-y (throughout the whole book) of why the world and the different species are the way they are and why Scarlet's null magic works on them; it was trying too hard, came up way too often, and if I thought about it too much I was just came up with a whole bunch of questions. I don't know about you but I really don't want to care about the whys that much. I just want them to be there.
- There is supposedly a love triangle between Jesse the hot newbie cop and Eli the hot three night stand werewolf but other than being told that she's attracted to both I'm (A) not feeling the sparks (B) can't tell if the author really thinks Jesse is going to be a serious contestant in this supposed match in the first place and (C) really not feeling the sparks.
- The big bad vampire that controls the entire city isn't scary. Why isn't he scary? He's supposed to be scary.
Maybe this is a case of a "it's not you, it's me" because I'm seriously in the minority here. I'll let you be the judge.
And hey! If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can read for free!
katieinca's review against another edition
4.0
I devoured this series on my summer vacation, spending no more than 3 days on any given book, and sometimes staying up late enough to finish in 1. There are witches, werewolves, vampires, snarky banter, and mysteries. And then there’s our main character, Scarlett, who’s a “null,” an invention I haven’t come across in any of my other urban fantasy reading. She negates magic, so all the vampires & werewolves are human around her. It’s a fun concept, and… occurrences ensue.
keberwick's review against another edition
5.0
Dead Spots was such a refreshing read! Melissa F. Olsen also wrote Boundary Lines and Boundary Crossed, which I really loved. The heroine, Scarlett Bernard, is definitely flawed and at peace with that. She's not some super self-defense expert, all she uses is a taser, but she's still badass in her own way.
The writing was very easy to get into and had a really nice flow to it. The change of perspective from Jesse to Scarlett was a bit jarring at first, but I came to really like it.
While I'm not a huge fan of love-triangles, this one I felt worked. It wasn't a major plot point as love-triangles tend to be, so it was definitely easy to deal with.
I really loved the characters of this novel. They seemed to come to life very easily. I never felt that any character was a Mary Sue and that they all had flaws.
I would definitely recommend this book, as well as the author to any fan of urban fantasy.
The writing was very easy to get into and had a really nice flow to it. The change of perspective from Jesse to Scarlett was a bit jarring at first, but I came to really like it.
While I'm not a huge fan of love-triangles, this one I felt worked. It wasn't a major plot point as love-triangles tend to be, so it was definitely easy to deal with.
I really loved the characters of this novel. They seemed to come to life very easily. I never felt that any character was a Mary Sue and that they all had flaws.
I would definitely recommend this book, as well as the author to any fan of urban fantasy.
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
3.0
It's been a while since I read a mystery, so I wasn't as into this story as I wanted to be. Scarlett is a good character and I like what she can do with her power, which is a little more unique in the UF genre. I didn't see the villain coming, but when he was finally revealed, I had trouble remembering who he was. Though to be fair, I thought the story was pretty slow. Again, mystery isn't my usual genre. I liked the vampire society, but wish the world could have been expanded on a little more. I also thought the romance seemed forced, especially when Jesse became involved. There was no need for him to be a romantic interest when Scarlett could have a complicated and engaging relationship with Eli. Finally, the twist at the end was really random. It just popped out of nowhere and left me feeling "huh?". I get that that was likely the intention, but I would have appreciated it more if there were subtle hints at its possibility. Anyway, we'll see what the other two books bring!
birdloveranne's review against another edition
5.0
What a fantastic book. I really loved it. Can't wait for book two. One thing I did NOT like is 1st person in one viewpoint, and 3rd person in the other. I feel they should have both been in 3rd person (or first). No mix n match!
whatsmacksaid's review against another edition
3.0
Not a bad debut at all. The writing lagged in a bunch of places, like Olsen needed to write a scene she didn't much want to or care about, but the story was pretty solid. Minus points for the love triangle, though. I am so tired of those.
malberto's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
tsquare345's review against another edition
Eh and ick. I bought this from Amazon when I received a $3 credit towards a list of books. This was the most interesting on the list and sadly not at all interesting. It's a poorly written story. I disliked the flip-flopping nature of the narration. One chapter was in first person POV, then the next was in third person POV. Why? It's jarring, unnecessary, and lame. And don't get me started on the slang and word usage. We're supposed to believe that the main character is a native Angeleno. But that is so not the case. Some of the word choices were so clearly not local slang that I wondered why the author even tried.
michalice's review against another edition
4.0
This is a re-read, or more like a re-listen. Really enjoyed this more with this time around and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next.